Death begins a new cycle in Final Destination Bloodlines, the sixth entry of the film series that’s known for its elaborate Rube Goldberg machine-style deaths. The catch here is that Death may be more ambitious than ever, aiming to snuff out an entire family’s bloodline after its matriarch evaded its grasp decades prior.

That presents clear shifts in the Final Destination formula, including an emphasis on its family theme and a dedication to lighthearted fun over palpable, drawn-out suspense. Death’s daunting ambition is more impressive in scope than in execution, though.

Bloodlines kicks off with the requisite inciting catastrophe that sees one woman, Iris (Brec Bassinger), embarking on an exciting new chapter of her life at the opening of the Skyview Restaurant Tower. What should be the happiest day of her life instead turns into a brutal nightmare when a chain of events, beginning with a small,...